The Detroit Lions entered the 2024 season eyeing a Super Bowl run. They had just won their first NFC North title and made an emotional push to the NFC Championship Game, where they fell short against the San Francisco 49ers.
Still, the hype around Detroit didn’t fade. In fact, they lived up to the expectations — and then some. The Lions set a new franchise record with 15 wins and secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in team history.
But their playoff run didn’t have the same magic as the year before. Detroit hosted the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round. While the Lions kept things competitive, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels carved up their banged-up defense. In the end, it was Washington who moved on to the NFC title game.
Lions Legend Barry Sanders Discussed New Coaching Staff
The offseason brought big changes — especially to the coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left to become head coach of the Chicago Bears, while defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn took over the New York Jets.
The shakeup has led to some questions about the Lions’ long-term outlook. And now, franchise icon Barry Sanders is weighing in.
Sanders appeared on Good Morning Football on Tuesday to talk about Detroit’s Super Bowl hopes in 2025 and shared his thoughts on the staff changes.
“You mentioned the coaches — losing Ben Johnson, losing Aaron Glenn. I feel like Coach (Dan) Campbell has understood over the last several years that those guys are highly sought after. Their days were probably numbered in Detroit if they wanted to take advantage of another coaching opportunity,” Sanders told the GMFB panel.
“I know that (Lions general manager) Brad Holmes and coach Campbell understand what they’re up against. But we still have most of our solid nucleus of young players in their prime. There’s no reason why we can’t be back in the playoffs and playing for a Super Bowl next year with the group we have.”
Who do you think is @BarrySanders current favorite running backs?
Detroit Lions legend and Hall of Famer joins the show to let us know and gives us his predictions for the Lions in 2025 🦁 pic.twitter.com/d1cLrMvPDT
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) March 25, 2025
Detroit promoted linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to replace Glenn as defensive coordinator. Sheppard, who played eight seasons in the NFL and finished his career in Detroit, joined the Lions’ coaching staff in 2022 and quickly moved up the ranks.
On offense, the Lions went outside the organization, hiring John Morton as their new offensive coordinator. Morton was previously the passing game coordinator for the Denver Broncos in 2023 and 2024 and has coordinator experience, spending the 2017 as the offensive play-caller for the Jets. The Michigan native also worked with the Lions in 2022 as a senior offensive assistant.
The Lions believe they have the roster to chase a Super Bowl in 2025. Now it’s up to the new-look coaching staff to take them the rest of the way.